Putting Down Animals

Posted by ESC August 13, 2004In reply to Putting Down Animals posted by Brian from Shawnee on August 13, 2004

Does anyone out there know why we say "putting down an animal" when we euthanize our furry friends?

thanks for the help. p

When an animal is sick or injured, he is "down." Not standing.

Is the U.S. we'd say "we're having our parakeet put to sleep", but in England I believe they'd say "we're having our budgie put down". Another trans-Atlantic difference I learned from Monty Python.

I agree "put to sleep" is more common in the U.S. Here's an example (from factoryfarming.com) of the use of "downed" regarding sick or injured animals:

"A scientific national opinion survey shows that most livestock producers consider the transport of downed animals to be a problem for their industry and would not oppose legislation banning the marketing of downed animals, according to Ted Friend of Texas A&M University's Department of Animal Science."